1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an action figure with the ability to shoot water by means of an air pressurized water chamber. More specifically, it relates to an action figure having movable extremities and having separate pressurizing and releasing mechanisms for pumping up and shooting liquid therefrom.
2. Prior Art Statement
Many toys and similar products have been developed over the years which pertain to dispensing water. Some have been to combine function with entertainment for children, e.g. shampoo dispensing, others have been to mimic or recreate bodily functions, e.g. crying, urinating, etc., while others have been for pure entertainment, e.g. water spraying with figures or dolls.
The following patents represent a chronological history of such diverse prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 928,059, describes a soap dispenser having a force pump with animated features. The force pump is immersed in liquid, e.g. soap and the pump stroke causes direct dispensing.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,266,106 describes a toy whale with wind up, spring loaded wheels which move a reciprocating plunger which causes pushing force on a flexible reservoir. When this is filled with water and the whale is moving, the plunger causes the whale to "blow" water.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,893,972 shows a novelty gasoline pump with an elephant encasement, the trunk of which is the pump hose. The hose is extendable and automatically retractable through the elephant's trunk.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,835 describes a dispenser for lotion or bubble bath. The device has a container of toy-like character, a dispensing mechanism including a plunger tube attached to one end of a suction cylinder. The plunger tube extends downwardly into the liquid contained within the container, the plunger tube being attached at the lower end of the suction cylinder. A sidewardly extending flexible tube out of which the liquid is dispensed, is included, and an upper plunger tube is connected to the upper end of the suction cylinder, the upper plunger tube having a press-button at its upper end.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,412 sets forth a spraying device enclosure. It has an attractive hollow body simulating an animal in shape and of soft and flexible material to enclose a pressurized spray can. The body has an adjustable opening on the bottom for introduction of the can and opposing openings at the top, one of the openings permitting projection of the mouth of the spray can such as the bill of an animal, and the other opening permitting the introduction of the user's finger for operation of the plunger of the spray can.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,745 shows a toy doll which will produce tearing and simultaneously move its arms (in response thereto) to provide the appearance of a crying doll. A fluid reservoir, located in the head of the doll includes ducting to carry the fluid from that reservoir to the eyes of the doll. The eyes of the doll are arranged with respect to the ducting so as to deflect the fluid passing therethrough to create the appearance of a crying or tearing doll. An elastically compressible bulb, connected to the fluid reservoir, is located in the passageway between the head and the body of the doll and is aligned along the axis of rotation of the head. When the bulb is compressed, the fluid contained therein is displaced and passes from the fluid reservoir to the eyes of the doll. The tearing system has no overflow or air intake ports inside the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,901 describes a child's doll with an internal reservoir into which a liquid may be introduced through the mouth orifice of the doll. The reservoir is also provided with a discharge valve whose opening is effected by the close proximity of a permanent magnet; such a magnet being provided attached to a training seat with chamber-pot. The doll is provided with an orifice at its lower extremity through which it can eliminate fluid when placed on the training seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,539 is directed to a weeping doll, having a head with eye sockets and an open mouth formed therein, is provided with a gravity influenced weeping device for causing the doll to weep when placed in a generally horizontal position. The weeping device includes a liquid inlet tube located adjacent the open mouth and a flexible reservoir tank in liquid communication with the inlet tube. A selectively operable valve is located in the inlet tube for opening the inlet to permit liquid to flow through the mouth to the reservoir. The inlet tube is provided by a rigid housing which defines a liquid flow conduit between the flexible reservoir and the eye sockets of the doll and means is provided for compressing the flexible reservoir when the doll is in a generally horizontal position to force liquid from the reservoir through the conduit to the eye sockets, in order to simulate weeping or tearing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,729 describes a tearing reservoir which is pressurized by inflatable sack connected to a bellows mounted in figure toy head and receiving air from water-impervious, hollow torso in fluid communication with bellows through a neck plug connected to the bellows and the torso in such a manner that water entering head when figure toy is immersed will not pass into torso. A reed-type noise maker may be mounted in the neck plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,517 is directed to a large capacity water squirting implement in the form of a cane. This water squirting implement utilizes a reciprocal plunger hand pump which is mounted at the top of a hollow, elongated tube which provides the large water storage capacity. A head is slidably secured to the top of the cane, enclosing the pump in such a way that reciprocal motion of the head is transmitted to the plunger of the pump to cause squirts of water to be emitted from a tube extending from the outlet of the pump to the exterior of the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,045 covers an action figure such as a human. The action figure includes two arms mounted to the figure's torso for rocking movement toward the torso about laterally spaced axes, the action figure also including two legs that are mounted for pivotal movement to the torso in a scissors-like fashion. Integral with the rockable mounting means for each arm is an inwardly extending shank, the shanks projecting into end portions of a coil spring. When either arm is moved laterally toward the side of the torso, the spring is flexed into a V-shaped configuration. A link extends downwardly from the center of the spring so that the flexing action imparted to the spring causes the link to move downwardly or upwardly. Each unit for pivotally mounting the legs includes a crank pin that is receivable in forwardly and rearwardly located slots at the lower end of the link. The arms can be independently swung from a position adjacent the sides of the figure to overhead or outstretched positions without affecting their ability to oscillate the legs in a scissors-like manner and thereby simulate running, swimming and kicking movements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,672 is directed to toy actions figures which include upper and lower hollow torso portions. An actuating mechanism is contained in the upper torso and acts through a helical gear mechanism to rotate the lower torso portion and the legs attached thereto about a longitudinal axis when one of figure's arms is swung from a diverging relation toward one side of the figure. A spring is used to return the actuating mechanism and the limbs associated therewith back to their normal or unactuated positions. Another spring releases or disconnects the lower torso portion from the actuating mechanism should the child attempt to twist the two torso portions relative to each other by using too much force.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,319 covers an activity toy with a body including a hollow cylindrical portions supported on a base and having pivotally mounted arms has a hollow upper member including a skull with extrusion openings. The bottom of the upper member has a loading opening for a plastic amorphous solid substance. Attachable about and spaced from the skull is a clear plastic mask formed of separable halves clamped together at the bottom by the engagement of hooks and tabs and at the top by a detachable hairpiece. Near the bottom, the mask is maintained in a relatively tight relation to a flange on the hollow upper member. The upper member with the mask attached is secured to the body by a bayonet lock. Within the body is a piston with diametrically opposed gear racks that are engaged by gear segments on arms pivotally mounted to the body. Movement of the arms from an upraised position down to a lower position drives the piston into the hollow member through the loading opening to extrude the plastic amorphous substance out of the extrusion openings in the skull and fill the clear plastic mask.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,756 covers a liquid squirting simulated creature comprised of a front section having a body, legs and head, and a rear section which is assembled thereto. The front section is comprised of top and bottom elements defining a cavity therebetween and front and rear apertures, as well as apertures extending along the sides thereof through which a multiplicity of legs extend. The rear section is a resiliently compressible bulbous member providing a chamber therewithin to contain fluid and having a neck portion extending through the aperture in the rear wall of the front section. A tubular conduit is seated in an opening in the neck portion of the rear section and extends to a front aperture in the front section so as to provide the conduit for discharge of fluid from the chamber therethrough. The leg members are comprised of a web on each side interconnecting a multiplicity of legs on that side of the front section, and flexible portions which extend through apertures along the sides of the front section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,931 describes various patterns of receptor holes formed in the torso, arms and legs of a plastic toy action figure to permit various accessories, also of plastic, having compliant press-in pins to be selectively added to and removed from the toy figure. Additionally, a rotatable coupling mechanism extends through the torso, the coupling mechanism having a receptor hole at each end thereof, the holes in the coupling mechanism being in a predetermined relation with respect to prearranged patterns of receptor holes in the front and rear of the torso. In this way, accessories can be plugged into the ends of the coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism is provided with two sets of facial teeth or serrations that are normally resiliently urged into engagement but which disengage if the coupling mechanism is subjected to an excessive amount of twisting force, thereby avoiding breakage. Associated with the coupling mechanism is a sound creating device that produces an audible clicking as the coupling mechanism is rotated in either direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,681 describes a water action toy which is worn on a child's hand by means of a glove secured to and underneath a housing in which a water reservoir, a water pump, an electrical motor and a battery pack are housed. A pair of actuators are mounted on a thumb sheath and a forefinger sheath of the glove. When the actuators are brought together by finger manipulation, the motor drives the pump to eject water in a series of spurts from the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,874 sets forth a shampoo dispensing container in the shape of an action figure, such as an army figure, and has a fluid pumping system that operates to dispense shampoo from the container in an exploding type pattern as one of the arms of the action figure is operated in a combat type movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,387 describes a figurine-shaped toy that squirts water out of its mouth by cranking an arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,965 covers an interactive doll system incorporates both liquid handling elements for receiving liquid through the mouth of the doll when the doll is in a first range of positions, then dispensing that liquid through the eyes of the doll when the doll is in a second range of positions or through an anal opening of the doll when the doll is in a third range of positions. It also incorporates an electronic assembly for sensing the attitude and motion of the doll, as well as feeding of the doll, and for producing a range of sounds in response thereto, including sounds produced randomly at times in response to motion of the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,140 discloses toy action figures and detachable accessories therefore incorporating audio generating apparatus. The audio generating apparatus is entirely contained within the accessory and generates both speed and sound effects. The detachable accessories have a configuration and visual appearance coordinated with the configuration and visual appearance of the toy action figure. For example, the accessory may be a backpack configured and having a visual appearance to coordinate with a soldier, spaceman or policeman action figure. The audio generating apparatus includes separate controls for causing the audio generating apparatus to independently generate speech and sound effects. The accessories in configuration, appearance and sound content are made to be attachable and applicable to different types of action figures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,129 to Gary F. Esposito describes a water pistol and/or flashlight structure which includes a reciprocal pump within a liquid chamber or tank located itself within the gun housing. The pump is used to pressurize air within the tank after the water has been added, and a trigger is used for subsequent release of the water. Battery operated lights and sound are also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,789, issued to Giampiero Ferri, describes a water pistol which includes a main liquid reservoir and a pressurized liquid reservoir contained within the main liquid reservoir. The trigger-actuated pump is used with a manually operated three way valve to selectively supply liquid: (a) from the pump to the pressurized reservoir; (b) from the pump to the nozzle and to the pressurized liquid reservoir; or, (c) from the pressurized liquid reservoir.
Notwithstanding the plethora of prior art, none teaches or renders obvious the present invention.